A Change of Heart
by Angel Phlox
Summary: The once cold-hearted Sesshomaru falls for Rin. As their relationship deepens, Rin can't help but wonder where it will lead.
1. Second Glances

******A Change of Heart**

* * *

******Note: "yokai" literally means specter, but is roughly translated as "demon"**

* * *

******Prologue**

It's been ten years since Naraku has been defeated. Everything is slowly returning to normal in Feudal Japan. Kagome and Inuyasha now have two kids, Miroku and Sango have four, Kaede-sama has passed on, and Koga has finally married Ayame. The yokai that once terrorized the villages have gone into hiding and all is at peace. Well, that's how it ___appears_to be. Inuyasha thinks it's too quite around the old village.

In the mean time, Rin and Jaken still travel with Sesshomaru. On a journey that Sesshomaru is unwilling to discuss, he obtains his long lost arm. Since Rin has gotten older, she has taken a more-than-friendly liking to Sesshomaru. And much to Jaken's dismay, his once cold-hearted lord has become softer. While they travel, Sesshomaru and Rin grow closer than they'd ever imagine. What will become of them? Will they pursue a future or break ties forever?

* * *

******Chapter 1: Second Glances**

As Rin walks through the forest, she feels the wind ripple through her long black hair. She smiles as the sun kisses her face. She loves feeling the sun hit her bare skin. It makes her feel free and alone, which she rarely was anymore. Ever since Naraku's defeat, Sesshomaru has been keeping her even closer to him. She doesn't mind this at all, but sometimes, she'd rather be alone like the "good old days".

She sighs and knows that she cannot return to those days. ___But that's ok,_ she tells herself, ___because I'm closer with Sesshomaru-sama now more than ever_. That thought alone has helped her in many circumstances. But she has also begun to notice something: Sesshomaru would give her second glances. Almost like he was___examining_ her. Rin isn't sure if she likes this, but she enjoys it nonetheless. Why? Because she loves Sesshomaru and wants to be with him forever. She knows that she cannot live forever, and this thought has come back to haunt her many a time. If Sesshomaru were to ever marry her, he would never die unless he was killed. Rin doesn't want her beloved Sesshomaru-sama to be with anyone else but her! She will not allow it! She won't!

"Rin? Rin, where ___are_ you, you troublesome girl?" Jaken calls out.

Rin sighs. "I'm over here, Jaken-san."

Jaken waddles over to Rin and stand in front of her, huffing and puffing like he'd just run up a mountain. Rin crosses her arms and shifts her weight to her right hip. ___I know that Jaken-san is indebted to Sesshomaru-sama and all, but why does he always have to look after me? I'm an adult now!_ Rin thinks irritably. She gets annoyed that Sesshomaru doesn't leave her alone when he goes off. ___He still thinks I'm a child!_ The thought angers her even more.

"Where the hell ___were_ you, Rin?" Jaken asks.

"Just walking. Why is that such a big deal?" Rin replies with much sass.

Jaken sighs. "If Sesshomaru-sama gets back and I don't know where you are, he'll shorten my life by a couple ___decades_!"

"So what? A few decades is ___nothing_ for you yokai, right?"

"Well, no. But still!"

" 'But still' my ass!" Rin fumes. "Sesshomaru-sama should trust me enough to know that I can ___take care of myself!_"

"He's just looking out for you, Rin. Despite his previous hatred for you humans, he loves you."

Rin throws her fists up in frustration. "I ___know_that, Jaken-san! It's just—"

"Just what?" Sesshomaru asks calmly. "This is what I've come back to?"

Rin turns and smiles widely. She runs to him and hugs her beloved Sesshomaru-sama. He just barely smiles and puts an arm around her. She buries her head into his fluff-covered shoulder and takes in his scent. His clothes are soft and his hair is shinier than usual. As Rin pulls back, she looks into the eyes of her beloved Sesshomaru-sama. They hold each other in a gaze that seems unbreakable. Rin can't help but feel her heart beat faster.

******-Later That Day-**

Rin bathes in the river as Sesshomaru lays in the sun and naps. The cold water makes Rin feel alive and oddly sexy. The fact that she's comfortable with Sesshomaru being there was surprising, but it was also making her slightly self-conscious. ___Are my boobs too small? Too big? Is my butt firm enough? Does my hair look ok?_ All these questions ran through her mind as she swam.

She floats on her back and stares at the blue sky with white fluff-balls, as she has insisted on calling them, float in the air. She loves staring at the sky, whether it be night or day. She loves nature, but mostly flowers. Sesshomaru has given her the nickname "hana no shojo", which translates to "girl of the flower". She likes it when he calls her "my little flower" or just "my flower". She finds it intimate.

"What are you doing now, my flower?" Sesshomaru asks, eyes closed.

Rin's heart beats faster. "Just floating on my back is all."

He grins and says, "Mind if I join you?"

Her face gets hot. "S-sure."

Sesshomaru gets up and takes off all his robes, except for a pair of underwear that look like shorts. Rin stands straight up as he enters the water. His muscular body was looking even sexier when it was wet. He splashes himself a little then stood behind Rin. She feels vulnerable and timid. She covers her chest with her arms and blushes. Sesshomaru senses her fear and calmly puts his arms around her waist and pulls her close. Her wet skin presses against his.

"I love you, my flower." he says softly into her ear.

"I love you too." Rin says quietly.


	2. The Kiss

**WARNING: extreme sexual content**

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Kiss**

Rin feels Sesshomaru's wet hands on her stomach. Chills of pleasure course through her. He leans down and kisses her soft mouth. His tongue explores her mouth for a few seconds then leaves as he pulls back. Rin leans back against his wet chest and removes her arms from her chest. Sesshomaru eyes her big, delectable breasts. He slides his hands slowly up her body until they reach her breasts.

Surges of pleasure course through their veins as Sesshomaru gently squeezes each breast. Rin stiffens then relaxes as Sesshomaru touches her naked body. He squeezes harder and she cannot resist. She turns and begins kissing him passionately. Her arms travel up and down his back, as do his. He occasionally squeezes her ass or breasts as they kiss over and over again. There are groans of pleasure from both of them as they make love for the first time.

After this goes on for a good ten minutes, they slowly stop. Rin's heart is beating faster than it ever has before. Kissing Sesshomaru was the most pleasurable thing she's ever done. He smiles and moves some wet hair out of her face. Rin feels herself blush but hugs her beloved Sesshomaru-sama despite it.

Her breasts are firmly against Sesshomaru's chest as she holds him close. His wet skin gives her chills and she's tempted to make love again. The way he squeezed her felt exhilarating and the way her tongue moved inside his mouth excited him. They were both panting from the sheer excitement and pleasure.

Sesshomaru puts one arm around her shoulder, and the other on her ass and gently squeezes. Rin gasps with pleasure and bites her lip in a way that makes Sesshomaru want to get even more aggressive with her. But he knows that now is not the time or place.

"We shall find a private place to be alone soon, my flower." Sesshomaru says as he kisses Rin deeply.

Rin pulls back after a few seconds and nods with a smile on her face. "Just the two of us?"

He nods and smiles. "Just me and my beloved flower."

He kisses her once more then disappears.

**-Later That Evening-**

Sesshomaru and Rin have finally found an inn they can stay in. The two lovebirds excitedly unpack and send Jaken to tend to A'un. The sun slowly sets as they finish dinner. Rin excitedly thinks about making love to her beloved Sesshomaru. She remembers how his wet skin felt against hers; how it felt to press her breasts against his firm chest.

After they were done, Rin went into the bedroom to change into her night clothes. Sesshomaru walks in just as she's pulling it on. He grins to himself and walks over to her. He wraps his arms around her waist once more and squeezes ever so slightly. Rin giggles and puts her hands over his, which reside on her stomach. Sesshomaru slowly and carefully removes Rin's clothes and slides his hands up to her plump breasts and swirls them around. Arousal courses through Rin's body as she slowly takes off her beloved's clothes. She turns and grabs his pointer. She rubs it and Sesshomaru groans with pleasure.

Pretty soon, they find themselves on the bed, kissing passionately and touching aggressively. Their hearts beat faster as they continued to make love throughout the night. After a long round of kissing and touching, Rin and her beloved stop making love and just lie next to each other.

"How was it, my flower?" he asks in a silky voice.

"It was _sensational_, my lord." she purrs.

Sesshomaru holds a naked Rin in his arms. His arms are around her waist and her hands rest on his. He kisses her cheek as she slowly closes her eyes and falls asleep. He plays with her soft hair and kisses her once more. _Sleep well, my flower._


	3. My Beloved

**Note: **

**onee-chan means big sister**

**onii-chan means big brother**

* * *

**Chapter 3: My Beloved**

As Rin opens her eyes, she feels the warmth of her beloved. She smiles to herself, remembering last night. It was truly magical, something she'll never forget. She never thought that she and Sesshomaru would _ever_ do something like that. It baffled her, but she didn't care. This would assure her that she would be with her beloved forever. They have a bond that cannot be broken. _Now Sesshomaru-sama and I are bonded for life,_ she thought.

She turns over and playfully pokes her beloved's cheek. He groans and turns over, not wanting to wake up. His long white hair covers most of his upper body. Rin twirls some with her finger, wanting him to wake up and kiss her. She knows he's awake, but she dares not push him to actually get up. She knows, despite what they did last night, Sesshomaru is Sesshomaru. No matter what he does or says.

"Ohayo, my beloved." She whispers then kisses his cheek.

He says nothing.

Rin gets up and goes to the bathroom to freshen up and get ready for the day. Then she heads over to the bathhouse, wearing only a towel. As she washes her hair, she examines herself in the mirror. She gently touches her breasts, thinking, _he touched them…_Rin shakes her head and clears her mind of last night. She has to look good today, considering that she and her beloved were going to see Inuyasha and Kagome. She was kind of nervous, knowing full well that Inuyasha despised his older brother, no matter what happened to Naraku.

Rin herself has no problem with Inuyasha, and certainly not Kagome. Matter of fact, she views Kagome as an onee-chan. She is always so nice to Rin that she sometimes thinks that Kagome only does it to please Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. It's understandable, of course, because they don't need another conflict. It took _years_ for Inuyasha and Sesshomaru to even _speak_ to each other.

After washing herself, Rin puts up her hair and walks into the hot bath. No one else is there, much to her relief. She has never been good with other people, especially girls. But something that terrifies her more than a room full of girls is speaking to a man other than Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. When she first met Monk Miroku, he started hitting on her. She's disliked him ever since.

"Are you the only one here?" a voice asks from behind.

Rin shrieks and turns around. _It's just another woman, that's all,_ she tells herself. She swallows and says, "Y-yes, I'm the only one here."

The woman smiles. "I didn't mean to startle you, I apologize."

Rin shakes her head. "I-it's fine. I…um…I'm not very good with people…" _Baka! That's not something you should say!_ She scolds herself.

The woman laughs. "It's ok, neither am I." she pauses. "My name is Nagisa, by the way."

The woman extends her hand and Rin takes it.

"I-I'm Rin."

They shake hands then Nagisa gets into the bath with Rin, who is extremely uncomfortable with this. Despite the fact that it's another woman, she doesn't like that fact that they are _naked, in a bath,_ and _alone_. What puzzles Rin most is that Nagisa is so nice to her. It's not that people are normally _mean_ to her, she just doesn't understand the concept of being nice to _strangers_.

"So, mind if I call you Rin-chan?" Nagisa asks.

Rin shrugs. "I don't really care. I've never had anyone call me that except for one person."

Nagisa raises an eyebrow. "Oh really? Mind if I ask who?"

Rin turns red and starts to panic. "J-just a friend of mine. H-her name is Kagome-chan."

Nagisa nods. "I thought you were talking about a boy, but that's nice too."

"A boy? Why would I be talking about a boy?"

Nagisa shrugs. "When a boy likes a girl, he often adds 'chan' to her name. But that's not always the case."

Rin nods. "So, Nagisa-san, has any guy ever called _you_ 'chan'?"

Nagisa laughs. "Um, only one that I can remember."

"Who was it?"

"My onii-chan." she says with a smile. "We're really close."

"It must be nice to have an onii-chan…" Rin says with a hint of sadness.

Nagisa frowns. "You don't have any siblings?"

Rin shakes her head. "I'm an orphan. My parents were killed when I was small child."

"Oh…I…I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies. Besides, I have someone in my life now."

"Do tell." Nagisa says with a hint of mischief.

"My beloved."


	4. A New Friend

**Chapter4: A New Friend**

"Ah, I see." Nagisa says. "And who exactly is your 'beloved'? Your boyfriend? Husband?"

Rin was truly flattered by these comments, but she was also embarrassed. She didn't know _what_ Sesshomaru was to her, other than a companion and savior. Yes, she did make love to him, but she didn't know where that left them. _I'm scared that we're never going to move on past that…_There are so many things that she doesn't know.

"He's not my husband." Rin says nervously. "It's complicated…"

Nagisa nods understandingly. "It's ok, you don't have to explain it to me, I mean, we just me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything. I just talk a lot."

"It's ok. I'm just not used to these kinds of conversations."

Nagisa smiles. "You seem pretty comfortable, though. Either you're a _really_ good actress, or you're being honest. I hope it's the latter."

"Th-thanks." Rin says, blushing.

"I know this is kind of sudden," Nagisa says shyly. "B-but would you like to be friends?"

Rin could feel her face get hot. "F-friends? Really?"

Nagisa nods, her cheeks slightly red.

Rin smiles a little. "I'd love it! I've had very few friends in my life."

Nagisa smiles. "I'd hug you, but that'd be kinda awkward."

"Maybe when we put our clothes back on." Rin says with a giggle, though she's still _very_ unsure about this.

She says goodbye to Nagisa after a small conversation then leaves to go change. As she does, she can't help but feel paranoid. This isn't normal for her, yet she talked to the girl with ease. She surprised herself. How was it that she's made a friend just by _talking_ with them? Or is that how one would normally make friends?

Rin walks back to her room with her beloved. When she enters the room, he's reading a scroll of some kind. She doesn't say anything, knowing that Sesshomaru hates being interrupted while he's reading. So she just sits on the bed and braids her hair. _He'll talk when he's ready, _she tells herself.

"Rin," Sesshomaru says, "pack your things. We're going to visit someone."

Rin looks at him. "If I may ask, is it Inuyasha?"

He looks at her with cold eyes, though they're almost always like that. She's gotten quite used to his cold stare. However, the way he looked at her yesterday was anything but cold. She enjoyed his hungry stare, but she would settle for almost any kind of stare. Almost.

Sesshomaru nods. "He sent me a letter. This is unlike my younger brother and it makes me concerned."

Rin scoots over and sits next to her beloved, but refrains from physical contact. He doesn't appear to be in a touchy mood, and Rin respects her beloved's wishes. All she needs is his love, even though it isn't physical. But physical love can only go so far. Rin is well aware of this.

"It is _very_ unlike Inuyasha-san." Rin says. "It must be really important if he actually bothered to write a letter."

"My brother and I didn't learn to write, since it wasn't necessary. But we _can_ read." he sighs. "This is most troublesome."

Rin gently puts a hand on his shoulder. "You have my support."

He looks at her and puts a hand on hers. "Thank you, my flower."

She smiles and kisses his cheek. "We should get going, then."

He nods and stands. They walk out of the room with all their stuff. Rin looks up and sees that storm clouds are gathering. Most people would say that's a bad omen, but Rin likes rain. Besides, roughly translated, her name _means _"cold rain".

Rin, Sesshomaru, and Jaken all hop onto A'un and fly in the direction of Inuyasha. Rin feels nervous for Sesshomaru, even though she shouldn't. It shouldn't be a big deal, but she couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this whole thing. Sesshomaru senses that Rin is uneasy and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Do not be worried, my flower. I can take care of this."

She nods and leans back, resting her head on his shoulder. He puts an arm around her to make sure she doesn't fall. She looks up at him and smiles. He doesn't return the smile, but he doesn't need to. She knows he feels the same way.

"How was your bath?" he asks casually.

"It was wonderful! I made a new friend!" Rin says happily.

"A friend?"

Rin nods. "Her name is Nagisa-san."

"Wouldn't you call her 'chan' instead?"

"W-we just met and…I don't know. It seems too casual." she pauses. "Can we come back here soon? I want to see her again."

"Anything for you, my flower." He leans down and kisses her cheek.

"I love you." she whispers.

"As do I." he replies with a small smile.


	5. Watashi No Hana

**Chapter 5: Watashi No Hana (my flower)**

Rin opens her eyes and sees the fluffy white clouds around her. The air is cool and fresh. She smiles and stretches. They have been flying for two days now. _Poor A'un must be tired,_ Rin thought. She glances at Sesshomaru, who is staring at nothing, thinking about nothing, and concerned about nothing. Well, that's what Rin is _thinking_ anyways. She is worried about her beloved because he's been oddly silent.

"What is with that look, my flower?" he asks in a slightly cold tone.

Rin swallows and looks him in the eye. "You've been silent lately. I don't like it. It makes me worry."

He gives her a small smile and kisses her forehead. "I'm just thinking is all. There is no need for concern."

Rin nods and lays her head on his shoulder. "I hope so…"

"You worry too much."

**o0o**

A'un lands with a grunt as Rin hops off and stretches her legs. It's late and the sun has set. The grass feels good under her feet as she wiggles her toes and grins. She didn't mind flying, but it feels great to walk barefoot in the grass. She looks up and sees the stars sparkle in the dark blue sky. It is quite a sight to behold, but Sesshomaru doesn't seem to care.

"Rin." he calls.

She turns. "Yes?"

He begins walking as Jaken attends to A'un. "Let's go. We don't have time for stargazing."

Rin sighs as she follows her beloved into the forest. She walks next to him, still afraid that wolves will come out and attack. Despite the fact that it happened years ago, Rin is still afraid of wolves. Sesshomaru knows this, and he does his best to avoid them, but this area is really close to the old Wolf Den. He remembers a young yokai named Koga who was the leader. He disliked Koga, especially his scent. That was one thing he and Inuyasha had in common: a dislike of wolves.

"W-we're almost there, right?" Rin asks nervously.

Sesshomaru sniffs the air once more. "Yes, my flower. We're almost there."

She swallows and takes his hand without thinking. The gesture surprises Sesshomaru and he almost claws her hand. Then he takes a deep breath and relaxes his grip. _When humans are afraid, they often hold hands to release some tension,_ he tells himself. He, of course, thinks that this gesture is foolish and pointless. However, if his flower is scared and wants to hold his hand, he will let her. Even if it's slightly awkward.

Sesshomaru stops in his tracks and cautiously puts Rin behind him as a blur of red charges toward him. The scent is all too familiar and he grabs the red robe and a pair of golden eyes is glaring at him. Inuyasha raises his claws toward Sesshomaru, ready to strike. Rin backs away as she hears more footsteps.

"Inuyasha! What the hell is _wrong_ with you?!" Kagome yells as she runs toward her husband.

Inuyasha takes Sesshomaru's hand off his robe. "Just a little family reunion."

His tone is bitter when he speaks. Kagome stands next to him and he puts an arm around her waist. Time has greatly changed his face, but his temper is still the same. Rin steps out of the shadows and waits for something to happen. Sesshomaru looks at Kagome and nods his head slightly. Kagome does the same, but Inuyasha examines his older brother closely. He knows _why_ Sesshomaru came, but he didn't know he'd be here so quickly. Then again, it _is_ Sesshomaru, after all.

"I didn't think you'd be here so fast." Inuyasha says, bitterness still in his voice.

Sesshomaru dusts himself off. "After all this time, you're _still_ surprised?"

Inuyasha laughs dryly. "No, I'm not surprised. But I'd _appreciate it_ if you'd tell me when you're coming."

"Let's not argue now that he's here." Kagome says. "Come, dinner is ready and the kids are hungry."

Inuyasha kisses his wife and follows her back to their house. Sesshomaru motions for Rin to follow as well. She nervously steps closer to him and walks beside him. She takes his hands once again and looks at him. His long hair flows with the wind as it blows. She is so close that she can smell him. He looks back at her and frowns.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asks.

Rin shrugs. "I don't know. I don't ever want to be away from you."

He smiles and kisses her mouth. "Nor do I, watashi no hana."


	6. Trouble in Paradise

**Chapter 6: Trouble in Paradise**

As Rin and Sesshomaru enter Inuyasha and Kagome's house, their kids run inside and wash up for dinner. Sesshomaru is uneasy around the children, especially since it's been a long time since Rin was their age. He swallows his tension and follows his younger brother to the "library" room. Inuyasha shuts the door, despite the fact that Kagome said that dinner was ready. Inside it's quiet and they can't hear anything, which Sesshomaru likes.

"Rin doesn't need to be here." Inuyasha says, almost glaring at Rin.

She frowns. "Why not?"

"Because it's none of your damn business!" Inuyasha says with clenched fists. "_That's_ why."

Sesshomaru steps in front of Rin. "You still haven't tamed your temper, have you, little brother?"

Inuyasha sighs. "Just go, please."

Rin nods. "Of course…"

She walks out and shuts the door behind her. She watches Kagome feed her children with ease. She smiles and kisses them, acting like a normal mother would. Rin feels a slight pang of sadness, because that's how her mom was before she was killed. She remembers her smile, her scent, even how she felt. It hurt to grow up without parents, but she got by. She knows that she's blessed to have Sesshomaru, and never forgets it.

Kagome looks at Rin. "Rin-chan? Are you ok?"

Rin turns red as Kagome walks over to her. "I'm fine…"

Kagome smiles and puts an arm around Rin. "Come on, I have some dinner for you too."

Rin follows Kagome as they walk into the kitchen. Kagome prepares a plate for Rin. As she does, Rin takes a closer look at Kagome. Her stomach looks bigger than usual. It's not too noticeable, but Rin notices. She's puzzled and frowns as Kagome hands Rin her plate.

"What's the matter, Rin-chan?" Kagome asks.

Rin takes the plate. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but are you pregnant, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome's eyes widen a little then she smiles. "Is it that noticeable?"

Rin shrugs. "I just haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, to answer your question, I _am_ pregnant."

Rin smiles and hugs Kagome. "That's so exciting!"

Kagome laughs. "Inuyasha doesn't quite think so, but yeah, I agree."

Rin lets go of Kagome and begins eating her food. She's always been fond of Kagome's cooking, since she usually eats whatever's available in the forest or fish. It's not that she's sick of traveling all the time, but she likes to get a home-cooked meal every once and a while. Sesshomaru won't bother to learn how to cook, so Rin always prepares food.

"This is _delicious_, Kagome-chan!" Rin says while stuffing her face with more food.

Kagome laughs. "You always say that. Do you not eat well when you travel with Sesshomaru?"

Rin puts her plate down and shrugs. "It's not that I don't eat _well_, I just don't eat home-cooked food very often."

Kagome nods. "That's understandable. When Inuyasha and I were traveling, I always looked forward to any home-cooked meal I could get my hands on." she laughs nervously.

Rin picks up her plate and continues eating. Kagome watches her and can't help but remember when Rin was a small child, always following Sesshomaru wherever he went. It was cute, really cute. But now that Rin was an adult, Kagome wondered what Rin intended to do. She couldn't stay with Sesshomaru forever, could she? The thought of that girl only being with him her whole life and not making any friends was depressing, and Kagome couldn't look upset in front of the kids, so she cast the thought out of her mind.

**o0o**

As Kagome put the kids down to sleep, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru come out of the library room. Rin nervously plays with her tunic, waiting for them to say something. Their faces are solemn and emotionless. Kagome enters the room with a worried expression. She stands next to her husband, who puts an arm around her. Rin looks at Sesshomaru and he motions for her to come.

"What's going on?" Rin asks.

No one answers.

"We're leaving, my flower." Sesshomaru says quietly as he walks toward the door.

Rin looks to Kagome for answers. Kagome shrugs, but her eyes are filling with tears. Inuyasha hugs her, and looks at Rin with sad eyes. Rin's heart almost stops. She's scared and doesn't know what's going on. Everything seems to stop and Sesshomaru turns to see Rin standing there, frozen. He walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"There's no need for fear, my flower. There's just a little trouble in paradise." he says calmly.


	7. Searching For That Which Is Not There

**Chapter 7: Searching For That Which Is Not There**

As Rin and her beloved soar through the clouds in the coolness of night, she can't help but feel an immense fear. She clearly remembers Kagome-chan's face when Inuyasha and Sesshomaru came back from their discussion. And, despite what Sesshomaru has told her, Rin cannot help but hang onto that fear as if it's Sesshomaru himself.

Sesshomaru can sense Rin's fear and continues to think of ways to calm her down. He, as casually as possible, slips his arm around her waist. She clutches his hand in, what seems to be, a death grip. If it wasn't for his high pain tolerance, he might have slapped her already. Sesshomaru took a deep breath and kisses his flower's soft cheek. She blushes at his touch.

"There is nothing to fear, my little flower." he says with a silky voice. "We are in no danger."

Rin merely nods.

This frustrates Sesshomaru, but he restrains himself from growling. Rin had, quite a while ago, that he had a nasty habit of growling when he was frustrated. Since then, he has tried his upmost best to not growl…It is _extremely_ frustrating. All his life, Sesshomaru never had to care about his habits; that is, until Rin came along.

"I can't shake the fear away." Rin finally says pathetically.

She feels embarrassed for admitting such a foolish thing. She knows that Sesshomaru could just kill her on the spot, or abandon her. Her greatest fear, besides her beloved dying, was being abandoned because of weakness.

"Is that not natural?" Sesshomaru asks calmly.

Rin shrugs. "I suppose so."

Sesshomaru nods. "I see."

Rin tenses and holds her breath, waiting for him to say something else.

"What are you so afraid of?" Sesshomaru finally asks.

Rin sighs with relief as her beloved's grip tightens around her waist. She leans back and rests her head on his chest. The rhythm of his breathing calms her.

"I'm afraid of losing you." she whispers.

Sesshomaru leans down and passionately kisses Rin's soft lips. "You'll _never_ lose me."

**o0o**

An exhausted A'un lands, Rin slides off his back and lands on the soft grass. She looks up at the sky and gets lost in her thoughts. Even though Jaken continues to babble about pointless shit, Rin doesn't hear any of it. Her beloved has flown off somewhere, once again leaving her with Jaken. _Why can't I ever go with him?_ Rin wonders.

"Rin!" Jaken scolds.

Rin looks down and sees an angry Jaken. She sometimes wishes that she could just squish him for all eternity.

"What is it, Jaken-san?" Rin asks in a bore tone.

"Were you even _listening_?" Jaken asks.

"Not really." Rin says.

Jaken sighs. "You're subtracting decades from my life…What I was _saying_ was that we need to find shelter. Sesshomaru-sama specifically said to find a place with a bed."

Rin's heartbeat quickens when she thinks of her and Sesshomaru lying in the same bed. Her mind drifts back to when they first made love. Small impulses of pleasure course though her as she years to repeat that experience over and over again. All she wants is her beloved's touch.

* * *

**Author's Note: I am ****_really_**** sorry for such a late update! Please don't get mad at me! ...Enjoy this belated chapter!**


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